Karan Singh, the CEO of Sunburn, on how great food, pampering and beaches make for the perfect holiday:

Favourite destinations“I love Hayman islands in Australia for their great coral reef and snorkelling in clear blue waters. Other favourites include Lake Tekapo in New Zealand for star -gazing which was a magical experience. Queenstown for its adventure sports and great vibe and Las Vegas too, which is a complete attack on the senses in a totally awesome, mind-numbing manner. Finally, I also love Santorini in Greece for its beaches and fabulous food.”

My first solo trip“The most memorable ones have been to Croatia and Amsterdam. Even though both were essentially work trips , I combined them with trying out the local food and bar scene. However, I’ve learnt that I prefer to travel with loved ones or friends as I’m essentially a people person. I prefer to share new experiences. Also, the more people, the more dishes you can sample.”

Luxe life“My most luxurious holiday has been to the Hayman Islands. I went there for my honeymoon and we stayed at a one-of-a-kind resort. We were pampered like never before. The whole island is stunning thanks to the white beaches, blue water and an untouched coral reef.”

Travel Buff? Download These Apps Before Your Next Vacay

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Stress-Free Travelling

27 Sep, 2018

Take the stress out of planning your trip and explore the world with these mobile applications.

AR City

27 Sep, 2018

AR City uses a combination of augmented reality and computer vision technology to let tourists access information as they travel around cities. You can stand in a street and holding your iPhone in front of you, see virtual information such as street names, building names and local points of interest on a live image of the real world in front of you. You can also use it for basic navigation. The app is still in beta, so the amount of information available is limited, but the accuracy is promising.Image: www.blippar.com

Culture Trip App

27 Sep, 2018

It is a travel inspiration app that makes local culture globally accessible. Tourists can explore more than 300 locations around the world through the lens of passionate locals and in-house journalists. From unknown stories about Mexico’s third gender to the most Instagrammable dishes in Beijing – the app covers every area of culture including food, travel, music, sport, entertainment, fashion, art, design, health and more.Image: play.google.com

iTranslate

27 Sep, 2018

Your smartphone becomes a live-out-loud translator with this must-have app for tourists. You can have conversations in up to 38 languages by tapping the button to speak and holding to translate. The app automatically picks up which language is being spoken and becomes the middleman in your conversation. The app is free to use in its basic form but to unlock unlimited translations and multiple devices you’ll need to pay a subscription.Image: play.google.com

Tripwolf

27 Sep, 2018

This app is your travel guide for more than 600 destinations worldwide in five languages, including offline maps and a trip planner. You can put together all the details of your trip before, or even during, your journey. Add the important points of interest, shops, hotels and museums to your travel guide and you’ll get a complete route as an offline map. The app can also automatically arrange your route by the distance from your departure point.Image: www.tripwolf.com

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Travel partner“My wife is my favourite travel companion. I don’t think I’m allowed to go on holidays with anyone else! On a serious note, we share a love for food and new experiences and always push each other to try different things and explore places as well as ourselves.”

A holiday means…“Unwinding, relaxing and just absorbing the sights and sounds.”

Rough & road“One destination that had me roughing it out was hiking in the Adirondacks Mountains in upstate New York. I like road trips too and driving between the towns in the south island of New Zealand was stunning. It was great fun to make random stops and check out a beach town, cute restaurant or a pop up market.”.

On my bucket list“I would like to travel to Iceland and the Maldives. The former for the Northern Lights and hot springs and the latter for its beaches and snorkelling.”

A place I keep going back to“London. It’s a great mix of food, friends and football, not in any particular order of preference. In fact, if I had to imagine setting up a home in the future, it would be in London.”

Wish To Travel The World? Don't Miss Out On These 7 Destinations

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Travel The World

12 Oct, 2018

By Masoom GupteTo reduce the world to a list of top destinations is a near impossible task. But for a variety of reasons some places are favoured over others and become the flavour of the moment. Here are some of the top spots trending this year.

The Five Stans Of Central Asia

12 Oct, 2018

Together, the five Stans — Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan — of Central Asia spell exotic. The historical association with the Silk Road, that passes through these countries, adds to the appeal and aura of the region. From cities like Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Tashkent, that mix the new with the old seamlessly, to the topography of the region that abounds in vast deserts, mountains and rivers, this promises to be the journey of a lifetime.

Europe (Iceland)

12 Oct, 2018

When the landscape of Iceland showed up in a Bollywood movie some time back, many were prompted to ask if the sequence was shot on location, or if the backdrop was a result of computer generated graphics. That’s how unreal Iceland can be. The popularity of this European nation has been on a steady rise, prompting a national discussion about applying curbs on the number of tourists permitted to visit. Best to tick this one off the bucket list, before your name slips on to a waiting list of visitors.

Africa (Rwanda)

12 Oct, 2018

True, the country has a checkered past, enmeshed in a long history of violence. But nothing like tourism to change a nation’s image and fortunes. Earlier this year, the country’s tourism department signed a multi-million dollar branding deal with English football club Arsenal, putting the country’s tourism tagline on player jerseys. The deal quickly became controversial as Rwanda is one of the world’s poorest countries and marketing monies are frowned upon. But soon the number of UK visitors surged, claimed officials. Something did the trick. Either the campaign, or the country’s stunning national parks and wildlife.

Antartica (The Ship Breaker Cruise)

12 Oct, 2018

This one is for the adrenaline chasers. Go to the end of the world aboard a ship breaker, surrounded by glaciers and water, and little else. High fitness levels are recommended. But even that’s not a guard against potential sea sickness bouts. Prepare for wonder on this journey, and a discovery of what you are truly made of.